1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to ink jet recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
In the related art, printing methods that use an ink jet recording method are performed by small droplets of ink being caused to fly and be attached on a recording medium, such as a paper. Through innovative progress in ink jet recording method techniques in recent years, so far, ink jet recording apparatuses using ink jet recording methods are utilized, even in the field of high definition image recording (image printing) using photographs or offset printing.
In the ink jet recording apparatus, the water content and the other volatile components included in the discharged ink are evaporated, and the viscosity of the ink rises (thickens). The thickened ink causes clogging in the nozzles, and ink ejection defects occur. In particular, since ink for printing on a recording medium such as plastic is prepared so that the drying speed becomes faster, clogging of the nozzles easily arises due to hardening of the ink.
In order to prevent or resolve discharge defects due to thickening of the ink as described above, an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a wiper mechanism (recovery mechanism) has been proposed (refer to JP-A-2013-256102). JP-A-2013-256102 discloses a technique of wiping ink attached to the nozzle surface using a fabric wiper. A maintenance liquid in included in the fabric wiper in order to make wiping the ink easier.
However, there is potential for a problem to arise of ink prepared in order to print on a recording medium formed from plastic or the like not being easily wiped even using a fabric wiper in which a maintenance liquid is included. This is because such an ink includes a resin for ink to be attached to plastic or the like, and when the resin fixes to the nozzle surface, the resin is not easily wiped even when the maintenance liquid is also used. When the pressing force of the fabric wiper is increased in order to peel the resin from the nozzle surface, there is potential to also peel off the liquid repellent film formed on the nozzle surface, and potential for adverse influence on subsequent discharging.